Drabbles
by Marquin
Summary: This is a series of short stories about the Fire Emblem games. They will cover romance, gore, violence, death, love, friendship, and anything else I can think of. Some will be long, some will be short and some will be poems. Please enjoy.
1. Melody

**So I'm sitting at my computer, sifting through the Cardcaptor Sakura fanfictions, and I find a story that isn't really a story, but a bunch of simple oneshots packed into one really large story file.**

**The catch though is that each story has a certain parameter and set of rules, i.e. a type of genre, Alternate Universe or in the storyline, usage of certain words or phrases, you get the idea. **

**To put it plainly, I thought this was brilliant way to waste the free time that I have. Then I thought, "Hey, Why not do it with Fire Emblem?" I think it shouldn't be too hard, seeing as there are so many characters, storylines and games. **

**Here's the way it goes. I list the topic, the genre, and which Fire Emblem game the characters are coming from. I also give it a rating, Tell you how long it is (Some challenges may have a word limit and does not include the authors' notes), the person who challenged me, and any special requirements I might have to add as a story element. Then I'll tell ya if I have a time limit, then I'll give you a teaser.**

**So, now I'm starting this thread of short and long- depending on the rules- oneshots. I hope you enjoy "Drabbles".**

**By the way, I don't own these guys. Sorry.**

**PARAMETERS**

Topic: The sudden realization of love.  
Genre: Romance.

Game: Fire Emblem 7: The Blazing Sword.

Time: Post Game.  
Rating: PG  
Length: 1,886 words. Pretty decent length if ya ask me.

Challenger: My dear sister Madge.  
Special requirements: Must write a romantic short story where one person realizes that they love another, only after that 'another' has lost something precious. Plus, at least one use of alliteration somewhere in the piece.

Time Limit: One Day. (Finished in 4 hours)

Tease: Why is it that a person loves the most annoying aspect of another person?

"**Melody"**

Her voice was to have been known to drift through the hallways, its shrill tone popping the eardrums of any passerby's. It could make a person want to rip out their ears and serve them as part of dinner that night. It could make you jump forty-five feet into the air if you were unsuspecting.

But now, the long corridors of Castle Ostia were silent.

For once, the guards didn't have to worry about being called into her room, at one in the morning, just to investigate a bug she had found on her pillow.

For once, Hector didn't have to worry about his assemblies being interrupted, just to be told that it was deplorable that he didn't provide vassals for his _own_ vassals.

For once Matthew could watch over her, without her fawning over him.

And for once, Erk could read in the quiet of the library. She wasn't able to annoy or distract him. She couldn't pull the book from his grasp and yell at him enough, until he found it hard to bear her voice, eventually giving into her will, just to make her shut up.

Serra found the silence unbearable. She hated when the world was so still, that you could hear yourself think. She hated her conscious, and all its stupid advice; she always thought that if the atmosphere was loud enough, then she wouldn't _have_ to hear it. She would be able to just block it out, never to be heard from again.

But now, she couldn't fill the air with the high-pitched, aggravating thing she called a voice. She gazed at Erk as she watched him study his magic, her face downcast with sorrow.

He could see her out of the corner of his eye. Twitching slightly, he shifted his position, crossing one leg over the other.

_Don't think about her. Just don't think about her, _He silently chanted in his head, as he tried to concentrate on his book. But he couldn't. No matter how much he tried to read, her face always came back to him, her features wrinkled in an expression that no one had ever seen her show.

Letting out a small sigh, he rested his book in his lap and looked at her.

"Serra, is there something I can help you with?" His voice wafted through the air, light and fluffy, like the scent of a sweet rhubarb pie. It was music to the young woman's ears. Her face instantly perked up and she opened her mouth to answer.

But it wasn't her voice that entered his ears. Her acute voice had been replaced by an ugly squawk, one that sounded like a pelican giving its last breath. She promptly closed her mouth and looked away, blushing a soft red in embarrassment.

Erk's face fell slightly. _Of course,_ he thought. _Her voice…_

Her voice had been lost. It was a sheep and she was Bo Peep. But unlike the fairytale, she would never find it. She ran a hand across her forehead weakly, wiping away the beads of sweat that had formed.

_I'm tired…_ she thought wearily. She hadn't gotten much sleep recently. She would lay in bed staring at the ceiling, waiting for the sun to rise and signal a new day.

"Are you still having trouble breathing?" Erk asked, seeming as though he knew what she was going through. She nodded briefly, still not looking at him.

He thought about how only two months prior, she had been bedridden, with a cold. The castle healer said she would be fine.

"Does it still hurt?" he questioned further. She raised her hand and twisted it in a back and forth movement. "So, a little?" he said answering for her. She gave another curt nod.

That cold had turned into the flu a few days later. She had muscle pain and a stopped up nose. She had trouble keeping her eyes open and had slept through that entire week.

"Where is the pain?" She pointed to her throat, touching the small rings of cartilage just below her chin.

He then remembered that she soon had a sore throat and couldn't talk. Though the brief silence had been thought of as a blessing from St. Elimine at first, people began to worry when it didn't get better.

"The medicine doesn't work?" She shook her lightly, almost as if she weren't even paying attention to him. He frowned softly, and looked to the floor.

They had called Pricilla in. Even though the troubadour was young, she was experienced, having served in the army with them. But the young woman had no idea what was wrong with her and couldn't give a diagnosis. Instead, she gave Serra a medicine that would calm the fever and soothe the throat.

"It's good that your fever is down though." Serra nodded but didn't smile. She had her hands folded neatly in her lap and her cotton candy colored hair draped thinly over her shoulders. She had given up putting it into the pigtails she favored so; the simplest tug on her tassels caused the strands to fall out of her scalp, like a flower being plucked from the ground.

Erk shifted his gaze from the ground to her face. Her once white and creamy skin was now a ghastly gray and it stretched gauntly on her face, making her look years older than in reality. Her hair looked frizzled, sticking this way and that in small clumps. Her lips had transformed from their once cherry red color to a flat peach tone, blending in with the rest of her skin.

For once in his life, Erk pitied her. This woman was not the evil chatterbox devil of a woman he had once known. She was now frail; looking as though she had been starved for years. He ran a hand through his violet colored hair and let out a sigh.

"It's sad that you have to suffer like this." He said softly.

She lifted her face, her blue eyes meeting his lavender ones. She grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment, and motioned for him to come over to her. Complying with her request, he got out of his chair and stalked over to her silently.

She dipped the quill lightly into the inkwell that sat on the table and began to scratch it across the paper. Her letters were large and loopy, but easy to read.

"Why…do…you…pity…me…so?" he read aloud as he followed her hand with his eyes. He smiled softly at her. "I wouldn't call it pity. It's just that I care." She gave him a shocked look and her chuckled. He pulled over the chair next to her and sat down.

"Do you honestly think I hate you?" She gave him a short nod. He ran a hand through his hair again and let out a breath. "Well I don't. Not anymore at least. At first you were… aggravating, but I learned to deal with your personality, no matter how odd it is." She still looked puzzled.

"You're my friend. I'm obligated to care for you." He smiled while she gave a small smirk and grabbed the quill again. He glanced over her writing again.

"Is…it…that…I'm…obligated…or…is…there…another…reason?" He read aloud again. He gave her a look of mock annoyance. "What are you insinuating Lady Serra?" Though he knew it was meant as a joke, it made his thoughts fly wild.

Why did he care so much? Why did it matter if she lived or not? Why did he worry over her so? He watched her laugh silently at her little joke.

Why did he miss her voice so much? He had always thought of it as a curse, a sign that St. Elimine had it out for him. But now that it was gone, he _missed_ it!

"There…well…er…I suppose that it's not _only _obligation. I mean…overall you're a nice person…I suppose." She smiled brightly, taking his comment as a compliment. She grabbed the writing utensil again and began to furiously scribble on the parchment.

"Do…I…like…you?" He read out loud one last time. Did he like her? Of course he did. She never noticed after all he had been through to save her from this brigand, that morph, even Nergal himself!

But was that all?

Was it only like, or was it something more? He couldn't decide. One side of him wanted to tie a brick to her ankle and throw her down a well, praying that he'd never see her face again. But the other part of him wanted to grab hold of her and hug her like there was no tomorrow.

That was the odd thing about love. You could hate someone, yet care so much for them at the same time, that it would hurt to think about it.

"I…" he began. He did love her. He had figured it out. Her vexing, outrageous attitude on life had drawn him to her. "…don't like you." Her face fell with his words. The short moment of silence was broken by the sound of her chair leg against the wooden floor. She stood slowly, gave Erk a small bow of respect, and turned around to leave.

But she felt a hand on her arm hold her back.

"I didn't get to finish." Erk said, standing up as well. Her arm was so thin in comparison to what it used to be. _Say it Erk!_ He told himself. _Say it before it's too late!_

"I was trying to say that I…I…" _SAY IT DAMN IT!_ His thoughts were telling him. _Say that you-_ "-love you." He said, finishing his thought. Serra's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and she mouthed 'what?' to him. He smiled softly and shook his head, as if saying he didn't believe himself.

"I said I love you." She stood shocked for a moment. He pulled her arm, bringing her into him so he could envelope her in his arms. She opened her mouth to mouth him something, but he silenced her.

"Before you say it, I know you're sick." She clamped her mouth shut to listen. "But I don't care." He pushed her away and looked at her face.

"I miss your voice. I miss that shrill, annoying, high-pitched attempt at talking. I miss how you used to boss me around and how you would yell at Lord Hector about stupid things. I miss you complaints about trivial things, but most of all, I miss the times you would just talk to me. I'll miss them forever."

Erk pulled her back into a hug. Serra leaned into him and hung on to him as if he would disappear if she let go.

"But, it doesn't really change who you are." He said softly, resting his head in the nook of her neck.

"Just let me hold you for awhile."

As they stood there, he thought about all of the adventures they had, and the ones they will have in the future. He loved her, and her face showed him that she felt the same. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

The song of his life may have just switched keys, but it was a melody nonetheless, weaving its way in and out of their hearts.

**Okay, sappy I know, but cute. At least I thought so. **

**The use of alliteration was the line 'cotton candy colored'. Creative right?**

**So, this is the end of the first entry in "Drabbles" What'd ya think? Was it good? Did it suck? Did I spell every thing right? Did it have proper grammar? Is there anyway I can re-word any of it?**

**I'd really like a review. I REALLY WOULD! Please? **

**Plus, I need knew challenges from people! So if you review, drop a challenge by me! I might just take it! So… over and out!**

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­


	2. Haunted

**Hello one and all! It is the Almighty A-Chan here with the next short story in Drabbles. Before I continue on, I would like to digress momentarily from the mainstream of this entry's symposium and thank the nine reviewers I had this past week! **

**They are:_ Kusabe Makabi, Lemurian-Girl, _****_Herr Wozzeck_****_, Niokh, peter, SF Kitty, Lao Who Mai, Shadow of Chaos_, and finally_ Phoenix._ I want to sincerely thank these people for complimenting me and giving useful and constructive criticism. It gives me a sort of warm fuzzy feeling inside.**

**Moving on to the real reason I am here, I am pleased to announce that I have here the next oneshot to be added to this file. **

**This story dives into the fantasies of a revered, yet wimpy, hero who does nothing but stab his enemies. It touches the anxiety and hardships of losing someone you love. **

**I hope that you enjoy the oneshot, "Haunted".**

**PARAMETERS**

Topic: Hanging on to a lost loved one.  
Genre: Romance/Angst.

Game: Fire Emblem 7: The Blazing Sword.

Time: In Castle Ostia right after _Chapter 28: Valorous Roland_ when Eliwood kills Ninian with Durandal.  
Rating: PG-13.  
Length: 1,468 words. I know it's a little short.

Challenger: Herr Wozzeck  
Special requirements: Write and angsty oneshot, focusing on Eliwood's thoughts about Ninian after she had been slayed by Roland's Legendary sword.

Time Limit: Until Thursday June 14th, 2006.

Completed In:

Tease: True love comes but once.

* * *

"**Haunted"**

The young man never took his love for granted. Instead, he took it with a grain of salt. What he had was what he had and he had been sure that it would stay that way for the rest of his existence.

A solemn Eliwood sat under a tree in the garden of the mighty Castle Ostia. His face was weary and darkish rings circled his eyes, signaling an apparent lack of sleep. His flame red hair was disheveled and sticking up in odd places, showing that he had taken no precaution to comb it that morning. The red-and-white checkered cloth he was sitting on clashed furiously with the grass beneath and around him- much like a sword and a dragon.

Dragon and sword.

He shivered softly as those two words stabbed through his heart, making him suddenly feel like one of the many brigands he had slain through the hard age of combat. He had branded himself a criminal; one who kills.

_Not that you've never killed before._ He thought morbidly. He had seen battles. He had been in the heart of war. He had felt the heartache of casualties…

"No…" the man whispered to himself. "That's not true. This time I killed an innocent woman. A beautiful woman. The woman I loved." He kneaded the picnic cloth he sat on between his fingers eagerly.

The affection that Ninian and Eliwood had for each other was short lived. Regardless, it was as potent as any love potion one would find in an apothecary.

_There will never be any like her… _he thought sadly as he looked up to the sky, almost as if he were looking her face in the clouds.

He had loved her hair. It was the color of the sky, early in the morning. It had always smelled of fresh flowers and honey. He loved grasping the strands in his fingers and holding them close to his face. This always caused her to blush wildly and he would laugh.

He had loved the deep red color of her eyes. They always darted around, holding a look of curiosity and awe frozen on her face. She was always asking him about this and that and what his opinion on a certain topic was.

But what he loved most about her was her dancing. She had the ability to twirl in and out, around and about, making your eyes run dizzy, yet still yearning to watch as she delivered even more intricate moves. He had loved the way her hips had swayed to her little brother's music and her hair would float behind her, creating a little dance of its own.

"I'll never see her again…"

He paused his thoughts and sighed heavily.

"She was a dragon…" he said, his voice being lifted off by the wind and carried elsewhere. He envisioned the mighty green beast he had slaughtered. Her scales gleamed in the sunlight and had stood proudly on her hind legs, roaring with enough might to scare off Hawkeye and send him running back home.

"That's probably what she wanted to tell me that night…" he continued, not being able to hold in a small laugh. "It was also the night I confessed to her." He observed in a otherworldly tone.

* * *

_The campsite of Eliwood's motley crew was quiet. Ninian stood outside of her tent iin the encampment, finding it hard to let sleep overcome her. She was a little chilly, dressed in only her nightgown and a small robe, but she preferred the nippy air to Serra's snoring. She couldn't stop thinking about him- his eyes, his way of talking, the special smile that he'd flash only for her… it made her shiver with excitement and sigh with content. _

Eliwood is such a wonderful man…_ she thought as she looked up at the stars twinkling on the mass of midnight blue. _

"_Ninian!" A voice rang out from behind her. Turning around, she met the face of the man she had been thinking of only moments before._

"_Ah… Lord Eliwood." She replied, giving him a bright, but sleepy smile._

"_I finally caught up with you." He said in a rather breathy voice. Evidently he had been running about the entire area looking for her. She let out a small yawn and glanced around again, pulling her robe a bit tighter around her. Eliwood shot her a worried glance and placed a hand delicately on her shoulder._

"_What's wrong Ninian? Why the long face?" _

"_Please do not worry on my account." She began to tell him. Why was he so encompassed on her at the moment anyway? There wasn't anything special about her, at least that he knew of. "I… I am not worthy-" She stopped and looked at the ground, taking in a breath._

"_What I'm trying to say is that I am not even worthy to stand in your sight, Lord Eliwood." She lifted her gaze up to rest on his face, which showed a great amount of puzzlement. _

"_Wha--" he began but was cut off by the motion of her hand. She pushed it back to its previous position and clasped the small appendage with her other hand._

"_I have been deceiving you." Eliwood nodded his head slowly._

"_Yes, as you were saying awhile back." He took a pause and ran a hand thorugh his hair. "So, you have been keeping a secret form all of us?" Ninian nodded soflty._

"_Yes…"_

"_But… you can't tell me what it is. Am I right?" The young woman nodded again._

"_Yes…" Eliwood nodded back at her in understanding. _

"_Very well." _

"_What…?" Ninian said giving him an odd look, one of confusion and fascination. What had he meant by that? Eliwood gave a light shrug of his shoulders._

"_If it is too hard for you to talk about, I will not force you. Just… if you ever feel able, tell me then." The blue-haired maiden gave him a worried glance and then shifted her face towards the ground._

"_But…I have been false… I have lied to you and the others. Do you not care?" Eliwood stepped closer to her placing one hand on her shoulder and using the other to tilt her chin towards him. He gazed into her blood red eyes and almost melted._

"_Ninian, I love you." Her eyes widened and she had to restrained herself form jumping onto him and strangling him into binding hug. _

"_That will not change, no matter what may come."_

"_Lord Eliwood…" She whispered as he pulled her into a tight hug. She rested her head on his chest as he rested his chin on her hair._

"_I don't care what your secret is—I will still feel the same." He pushed her away from his chest to see that she was crying softly. He wiped away a tear and sighed._

"_If something troubles you, let me sweep it away. Please don't cry anymore." Ninian let go of him and used the collar of her robe to wipe her face. _

"_Remember, I would do anything to see you smile again, so chin up!" She gave a small laugh and a set a small smile on her face. He locked eyes with her again._

"_You are the first woman I have ever felt this way about, Ninian…" _

"_Lord Eliwood…" She finally replied, her voice sounding a little squeaky from crying. "I don't know what--" She paused and latched onto him in another hug. _

"_Lord Eliwood… Lord Eliwood…"_

* * *

Lost in his reverie, he had begun to tear up himself. What of those promises now? He had let not only her down, but himself in a way too. He made an attempt to wipe away his tears, but they kept flowing freely down his face.

She was the first woman he had ever reached out to, from the moment that he saved her from the Black Fang in the days of Lyndis' Legion, to the time they rescued her from the dread isle.

She had fought along side of them; invigorating their bodies with her lively dances and making them want to live again!

Ninian had given more to Eliwood than anyone else had ever given him before, and ever will. She had defended him, danced for him, sat with him, ate with him and talked with him. She had loved him and he had loved her. He still loved her, and would for the rest of his life.

He buried his head into his hands scratching at the fiery red mass of hair he had and crying his soul out. No one would ever be able to replace her in his heart.

"I had true love, something that is so rare…" he said through tears, choking up on his frequent sobs. "And I let it slip away…"

* * *

**Well… that's the end. If you ask me, I think it sucks. I had a limited time to work on this, but in the end, it all boils down to one thing- I can't write angst. I'm horrible at it. But at least I tried…**

**If you could, please drop off a review and/or a challenge. I love your feedback and I need some writing material. For the next one, I'm thinking either something with Nino from FE7 or Innes form FE8. Drop off any ideas please!**


End file.
